"Physical Enhancement: One Thousand Times!"
A sonic boom exploded forth from Esther's fists, tearing apart the space around a bulky old man.
His skin was as dark as tree bark, with toned muscles that rippled with strength at every movement. His brown eyes faced Esther's might unflinchingly, his bearded face a mask of calm.
Pulling back one muscular arm, black tattoos appeared on his skin the the pattern of flames. With a grunt, he unleashed a blow that tore apart the winds.
Esther scowled, seeing the force behind her attack losing out. Screaming into the air, she unleashed another powerful strike.
"Physical Enhancement: Ten Thousand Times!"
Her purple halo and horn appeared, and her veins glowed an unnatural violet glow. With one fist covered in a violet light, she descended from the sky and punched the air.
A wave of lilac waves cascaded downwards, crashing into the man's blow. Light warped and bent at the epicenter of their clash, shattering space itself.
Exploding forward, Esther shrouded both her fists with divine might and drove them forward, pushing the man back several feet with strength alone.
He smiled, "Very good, you've grown plenty during your stay"
Grunting, the man flexed all of his muscles, causing the flame tattoos to cover him from head to toe. As Esther's powerful force approached, he made one simple move, raising both fists into the air.
"Big Bang"
Time and space seemed to freeze for a moment, accompanied by a flash of blinding light. Esther found herself breaking out in cold sweat, before getting swept away by an absolute force.
She slammed into a mountain face, leaving a deep imprint on the rocky surface. Coughing up blood, she fell forward to her knees, her chains clinking by her sides. Esther slammed her fist into the rock face, causing cracks to spread along the surface.
"Damn it! I was so close!"
Just a few months prior, Esther hadn't been able to even get close to the man, yet now she managed to exchange several blows.
A few months ago…
Emerald piloted a helicopter towards a towering mountain that had been split down the middle. A raging river could be seen winding through the valley, cutting deeper into the ground. She hovered in the air, not getting any closer.
"This is as close as I will get," she stood and turned around, where the squad leaders and the Void Subjugation Corp were waiting, "Descend, and face their trials to prove yourself worthy"
Zheng Yuxuan raised an eyebrow, "You mean for us to jump thousands of feet from this helicopter?"
Calypso chuckled, "Of course that's what she meant, how else are we supposed to get down? Oh right! You can't fly"
The young man scowled, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip the skeletons from your steeds for my own army"
Emerald clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention, "Alright kids, that's enough bickering, get off my ride"
Waving her hands, every single one of them felt an inexplicable feeling take over their bodies. Within moments, they were tumbling through the air in a free fall, unsure of how they got there.
Vikir transformed into his draconic form, beating his wings against the air to gain stability. Calypso summoned her drake, who caught her in the middle of her fall. Cinder and Nina on the other hand merely used their powers, summoning forces that slowed their fall.
Zheng Yuxuan fell with a frown on his face, his arms crossed as he fell. Snapping his fingers, he summoned greenish wisps that hurriedly latched onto his clothes, slowing down his fall by a small amount.
As for the Void Reaper Squad, each of them handled the fall in their own ways.
Esther didn't bother slowing her descent. Instead, she dove headfirst towards the ground, her skirt, hair, and chains billowing in the wind. Not too far from her, a shirtless young man fell in a similar fashion, his palms pressed together as if in prayer.
His head was shaved completely, his eyes thin slits, and his skin pale. The young man's physique was a mass of lean muscle, thin, but not emaciated. The only thing he wore was a pair of white linen pants.
Esther stuck her tongue out at him, "Hey Kenzo, race you to the ground!"
Opposite to them, a young woman dressed in a traditional red eastern dress laid gracefully atop a boat of blood red crystal. Her skin was fair, contrasting the blood red makeup that lined her lips and eyes.
The boat shook twice as two people landed in it. One was a tall young man with shiny blonde hair, his face gentle and his body frail. The other was a slightly shorter man, his hair stark black, and his skin a sickly pale. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.
"Xue Xiaoyao, couldn't you have picked us up?"
The young woman opened one eye and peered at him with scarlet pupils, "Ramiro, I don't remember letting you on, but you're here anyway"
With a flick of her wrists, the boat shook and heaved, knocking Ramiro out of it. He fell with an enraged expression, one middle finger pointing skyward.
"Fuck you, Xue Xiaoyao!"
She turned towards the blonde, who smiled wryly and raised his hands, his palms spread in surrender.
Nodding her head, she closed her eyes, "Jump yourself, Alex"
Alex sighed and turned around without another word. Golden light shrouded his body from head to toe as he jumped from the boat, sporting an embarrassed smile throughout his entire fall.
Then there was a young woman with blonde hair, gently swaying in the wind as she sat upon a large scarf, her frilly dress billowing in the wind. Teacups materialized from her hands as if she weren't falling from the sky.
Alexandrine turned behind her, where a young man rested upon a bubble of water, his tanned skin making it look as if he was sunbathing.
"Caspian, lend me some water would you?"
Finally, the last of the Void Reapers fell from the sky. Alesha shrouded herself in a black cloak and carried the arm of a pale looking young man, dressed as if he was headed for a sleepover. His other arm was carried by a young man with skin as white as snow.
The sleepy young man glanced up, "Julian, you're freezing my arm here"
Julian rolled his eyes, "Shut up Ivan, this is better than falling by yourself"